I don’t spend a lot of time in front of the mirror. Usually a quick glance to comb my hair and brush my teeth before I dash out the door will do.
But today I actually looked and noticed evidence of growing older: gray hair.
Not that I hadn’t had any before, but this time it struck me how the gray clashed with how much of a child I still feel like I am.
Young at heart
As my children play in the next room and I hear their young voices, I still remember vividly the playtimes of my own childhood.
In my heart, I am still seven, still small in the face of the world, but on the outside I am becoming weathered and gaining experience as the years of motherhood march by.
If only we could live our lives with the wisdom we gain in later years.
The gift of motherhood
What a beautiful gift motherhood is! Every moment is so precious as we spend our days caring for our little ones, feeding them, teaching them, shaping them. They will not be little forever.
“Just enjoy them,” my own gentle mother urges me whenever I ask her for advice. For years I’ve been so caught up in the details of the work that goes into caring for my family that I haven’t always paused enough to recognize just how precious each moment is.
It’s human nature to wish our days away, to search for something better on the horizon, to overlook the beauty of the gift of the present moment. Take, for example, something my young daughter said once, which, at face value was quite shocking.
“I can’t wait to die!” she blurted out of the blue.
My heart skipped a beat as I contemplated her words and looked at her face. Joy emanated from her blue eyes, and a wistful smile lent beauty to her delicate cheeks.
I knew then what she meant.
“Because you can’t wait to get to heaven?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said simply.
“I know,” I said. “Me, too.”
I talked with her then about being thankful for our time here on Earth and living the way God wants us to live every day, so that we can join Him in heaven someday.
Focusing on heaven
At age six, my daughter was already focused on heaven. Would that each of us as adults hold the same hope and eagerness as this child, while balancing it with gratefulness for each moment.
What if each action of our day carried with it the hope of heaven? How differently we would live then. How mindful we would be of each word, each action, turning them into prayer.
Our Blessed Mother
In our own daily struggles of motherhood, let us turn to our own Blessed Mother, who looks upon us with the gentlest love and yearns to bring us to her Son.
“If you ever feel distressed during your day — call upon our Lady — just say this simple prayer: ‘Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now.’ I must admit — this prayer has never failed me,” said St. Teresa of Calcutta.
“Love our Lady. And she will obtain abundant grace to help you conquer in your daily struggle,” said St. Josemaria Escriva.
Our time as mothers is so precious, so delicate, so limited. During the month of May, ask our Blessed Mother to help us gain God’s grace to fix our eyes on heaven while savoring the gift of each moment of our lives.
Make every day, every thought, every action, count toward our final goal. Let’s make our Blessed Mother proud.
Julianne Nornberg, mother of four young children, is a member of St. John the Baptist Parish, Waunakee.